


Warm Welcomes

by demonchild026



Series: Merlin fics [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Finds Out About Merlin’s Magic (Merlin), Druids, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Magic Revealed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 09:47:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20338117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonchild026/pseuds/demonchild026
Summary: After becoming King, Arthur decides it's time to allow the Druids back into Camelot. A feast is held to celebrate, but secrets long kept are thrown into he open.





	Warm Welcomes

**Author's Note:**

> Lancelot is still alive, Morgana is not evil, Mordred is not evil.  
Also this is my first fanfic so if there are any mistakes please point them out.

Today the druids would come to Camelot.

After some arguments with the council and half a dozen fist fights out in the training fields between knights with differing opinions, Arthur had decree that the druids be allowed to live in Camelot, among the people. Of course they must follow the laws, including those regarding magic, but many were just happy to be welcomed somewhere where they were not hunted. 

Merlin was especially happy when Morgana had told him that Mordred would be among the groups coming. He looked forward to seeing the boy again, after so many years. 

So much had happened in the recent years; Arthur became king, Morgana told Arthur about her magic and agreed to be the link between the druids and the people of Camelot, in fact it was her who convinced Arthur to let the druids back into Camelot. Despite all of this Merlin had never had the courage to tell Arthur about his magic.

There was a difference between him and Morgana, she could forget about her magic. Visions, maybe not, but Arthur seemed to think visions were the exception to the magic rule. Merlin's magic would never be accepted - and there was no way he could go without using it. 

He had tried that before - when he was living in Ealdor. It was never safe for him to use magic, and his mother often told him that. So when he was a child, he tried to please his mother by not using magic at all. That would make Hunith happy, right? 

Four days in and things started to happen. When he was angry at one of the boys in the village, a thunderstorm rolled in, with it buckets of rain hours of lightning. And then when a man insulted Hunith, a nearby tree fell, only narrowly avoiding the man as he scrambled out of the way. When Hunith realised what was going on she made Merlin vow to never try it again. Magic had chosen him and it wasn't going to let him go. 

So here he was, living in Camelot, the place where magic is punishable by death, as a warlock who is unable to go for more than a couple of days without using magic before it spiral out of him to ruin everything - all the while just watching as every else earn the King's trust and missing every opportunity because he was scared. 

"MERLIN!" The King's voice came booming through the corridors. He scrambled up from off the floor where he was resting and hurried after Arthur.

Arthur gave him a scowl for his tardiness, but didn't say anything. He didn't have to, Merlin knew he was disappointed. Today was such an important day and he had already dropped some of the food for the feast with the druid leaders and had forgotten to wash Arthur's shirt. He hurried after him. 

Merlin's heart doubled its pace when he saw the druids approaching. He recognised some of them from his trips with Arthur, all those times when they made every situation worse by ignoring the druids advice. It made his heart flutter a little more to think that now Arthur would listen. Maybe it would make Merlin's job a little easier. 

He stood over to the side with some Lancelot and Gwaine. Maybe they saw how panicky he was getting, because Lancelot turned to him and whispered, "It'll be OK, stop worrying." He gave him a reassuring smile and they turned back and watched Arthur, Morgana and the druids. 

"Hello, and welcome to Camelot," Arthur said, addressing one of the druids. 

"Thankyou for the warm welcome. My name is Iseldir. I hope this can be a start of a new era for the druids, and perhaps Camelot too," Iseldir replied. Arthur smiled. 

"If you will follow me, I will show you to the castle. Your people are of course welcome to wander the town, this is their home now, if they wish it to be." 

The group began the walk towards the castle, Merlin staring off into the distance as he blindly followed. Arthur continued to speak to Iseldir, the two chatting about the dynamics of the druid people compared to Camelot's citizens. It made Merlin happy to see Arthur interested in the topic. He had worried for a while that Arthur was only doing this because Morgana asked him too, and he knew that Arthur loved Morgana. She was his sister. 

When they reached the castle, a group of servants accompanied Iseldir and two other druids and showed them to their rooms. So far, there was a high chance that they would all be staying permanently and joining the court as representatives of the druids, but Merlin knew nothing was set in stone. Merlin followed Arthur to prepare for tonight's feast. 

Merlin hated feasts. All he did was stand behind Arthur and fill his cup, whilst watching all of the nobles laugh, drink too much and eat too much. And waste too much food when they started throwing it at each other. Despite the druids being the stars of today's feast, it was doubtful that it would be any different. 

When the feast started and the druids entered, one of the druids of whom Merlin didn't know the name of looked at Merlin, confused. 

"Emrys, why are you not joining the feast?" 

Merlin's heart rate tripled and he panicked. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, to deny being Emys, or maybe just make some excuse and hope Arthur didn't hear the druid. 

But Arthur most certainly heard. 

"Who is Emrys?" Arthur asked, looking at the druid in confusion. Iseldir and the other druid stayed silent, making no move to help him. Iseldir had always seemed confused by Merlin's choice to keep his identity a secret, and clearly he hadn't changed his opinion. 

The druid laughed. "Emrys is the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk this earth, the man who will help unite the powers of the old world and the new, and bring the time of Albion." He paused at looked back at Merlin, who was now white faced. 

"Merlin, what's going on?" Arthur turned to face Merlin, but stopped, suddenly very scared when he saw how terrified Merlin looked. "Merlin?" 

The druid continued to look at Merlin, amusement in his face. Clearly he shared the same view towards Merlin's choice of secrets as Iseldir. 

"I don't know what he's talking about."

The druid simply laughed. "I must say, I was a little shocked that the great Emrys did not greet us when we came here, but now I see why." He gave a full bow. 

"Merlin, why is he bowing to you?" Arthur said, shocked at the gesture and confused by the druid's words. 

Merlin's mouth moved, but no sound came out. His eyes began to water. This druid was single handedly ruining his trust with Arthur, ruining the friendship that he had been building for almost ten years. 

"Merlin, is what he's saying true?" 

Again, Merlin didn't speak, but Arthur could see the truth in his eyes. He stood up, grabbing Merlin's arm and pulling him out of the room before his manservant started crying. 

They entered the closest unused room, and Arthur sat Merlin on a chair. He could see Merlin's legs shaking. He knelt in front of him just as Merlin wiped away tears. 

Stop crying, you will not cry in front of Arthur, stop crying

Arthur removed Merlin's hands from his face and looked him in the eye. "Merlin, what he said, that you are Emrys and a sorcerer, was it true?" 

Merlin nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He suddenly gave in and the tears poured like a waterfall. 

"Merlin listen to me. I don't know why you thought you couldn't tell me after Morgana and especially after we decided to bring the druids, but it's okay." Suddenly Arthur noticed Merlin's hyperventilating. "Merlin, breathe. Come on, in, out. In, out."

It took a few minutes, but eventually Merlin's breathing stabilized and he began to wipe at his face. Merlin took a deep breath and spoke. 

"I'm so sorry Arthur, I'm so sorr-" 

"Merlin stop." He down at Arthur, who was still kneeling in front of him. "Merlin, I don't hate you. I just want an explanation. I understand why you kept it a secret at first, but I made it clear I was fine with Morgana's magic. I just want to know why you thought you couldn't tell me. Please."

"I, I just, I don't know." The crying continued. Arthur pulled up another chair and sat down. 

"Merlin, was anyone threatening you?"

"No…" 

"Making you feel threatened?" 

"No."

"Merlin, please tell me why. Whatever it is, you can tell me."

Merlin wiped his face again. "Morgana's magic is peaceful. She, she's helped people, her visions - her visions have saved lives. Me, I've killed people. I've killed innocent people Arthur."

Arthur stared at Merlin, not quite believing what he was hearing. "What are you talking about?"

"I released the dragon."

Merlin buried his face in his hands again and just cried. Arthur let him - he had seen enough crying in his lifetime to know he needed to calm down before he continued. 

"Merlin, breathe. In, out. Come on Merlin. In, out." They spent the next minute or so in silence as Merlin just breathed, Arthur next to him the whole time. Merlin was pretty sure this wasn't real - Arthur should hate him for the deaths of all those people. He should run him through right now. 

"Merlin, I don't believe for one second that you would just set the dragon free. Please, I need you to explain." Merlin gave a hesitant nod and continued. 

"When the immortal army attacked, I went to the dragon. He had helped me on occasion before, when ever Gaius didn't have answers to whatever magical problem we were dealing with." Merlin gave a quiet laugh. "You are excellent at finding magical trouble." 

"Continue Merlin." 

"Yeah. Um, so Morgause created the enchantment, but something that powerful needed to be tethered to something. She tethered it to Morgana. The dragon told me how to stop the army - I had to destroy the link. But she linked Morgana." Merlin paused, choking on his words." I poisoned her, I forced her to drink poisoned water. I told Morgause what poison it was in exchange for her to break the curse." 

"Merlin, what does this have to do with setting the dragon free?" Merlin took a breath and continued. 

"In exchange for the dragon's help I had to promise to set him free. I didn't know he would - I thought…" The crying came back and suddenly Merlin couldn't find it in himself to continue talking. 

Arthur sat there for a moment, and Merlin was sure that he had changed his mind. He finally realised just who Merlin was and he wanted him dead. He killed so many innocent people. He tried to kill Morgana.

Arthur looked at Merlin's face and suddenly realised what he was thinking. "Merlin, did you know that the dragon would attack the town?" 

"No!" 

"Then what you are telling me is you single handedly saved us all from Morgause, and you freed a dragon that had been wrongfully imprisoned for years? If you didn't know what would happen, then it sounds to me like you did the best you could with the situation."

Merlin stared at Arthur in shock, before whispering, "Arthur, people died. So many people died."

"Merlin, if anyone needs the blame it's Morgause. I forgave Morgana when she realised her mistake, and she did it knowingly. I don't think there is anything to even forgive you for, you did what you had to."

Merlin said nothing, he simply stared down at his hands. 

"Merlin, have you ever conspired against me or used your magic against me?" 

"No! I promise it's only ever been for you -" 

"Then I forgive you. Come on, dry those tears. I think you need to go to sleep after tonight's events. I expect a full explanation of every little thing you've meddled with later, but not yet."

"But -" 

"No buts."

Arthur stood and scooped Merlin into his arms. He gave a little squeak as his feet left the floor, and started squirming as Arthur carried him off. He soon stopped and when Arthur looked down he saw that Merlin had fallen asleep. He smiled and carried him over to his chambers, setting him down on the bed. Merlin looked so peaceful in Arthur's bed, despite the fact that his whole world had just been turned upside down by that druid. 

Arthur turned and walked out of the room and towards the feast that was currently taking place without him. He was expected to be there, so he would have to check on Merlin later. At least now he had the chance to have a go at the druid. He would regret ever hurting Merlin like that.


End file.
